Album: Animals' Dazzling Headgear

Big bull moose

Credit: In public domain

The antlers of moose are similar to those of deer. This photo was taken in Chugach State Park, Alaska.

Red deer stag

Credit: Wikimedia Commons user Mehmet Karatay

Red deer stag (Cervus elaphus) with velvet antlers in Glen Torridon, Scotland. When the antlers of a deer are still growing they are covered in a special skin called velvet. They lose and re-grow their antlers every year.

Cow in Eyeworth Wood, New Forest

Credit: Wikimedia Commons user Jim Champion

A cow sitting in a sunny spot among the beech trees of the United Kingdom. A cow's headgear are true horns, made of keratin (same proteins as skin and nails) and covered with skin.

Bighorn sheep

Credit: Wikimedia Commons user Wing-Chi Poon

Bighorn sheep Ovis canadensis in Glacier National Park, Montana, USA. The sheep's horns are similar to those of cows and goats.

Male elk

Credit: Wikimedia Commons user Malene Thyssen (User Malene)

Portrait of a male elk (Alces alces), whose antlers are similar to those of deer.

giraffe headgear

Credit: Wikimedia Commons user William Scot

The nubs that top the giraffe's head, which are just bone projects covered in skin and hair, are called ossicones.

Pronghorn antelope

Credit: Wikimedia Commons user MONGO

This is a male pronghorn antelope, which has very different horns from its normal antelope cousins. The horns have a bone center and a special outer layer that it sheds and re-grows every year.

Okapi

Credit: Wikimedia Commons user Dontworry

Okapi couple at zoo in Frankfurt am Main. The okapi are a very rare species of ruminant related to Giraffes. They have similar headgear, bone projects covered in skin and hair, called ossicones.

Bubikon cow market

Credit: Wikimedia Commons user Paebi

Cow Market in Bubikon, Switzerland. A cow's headgear are true horns, made of keratin (same proteins as skin and nails) and covered with skin.

Mule deer missing antler

Credit: Wikimedia Commons user Hustvedt

A mule deer missing an antler. Deer loose their antlers each year and re-grow new ones from stem cells in the base of the antler.

An aubrac cow

Credit: Wikimedia Commons user Jean-Luc Bailleul

An aubrac cow. A cow's headgear are true horns, made of keratin (same proteins as skin and nails) and covered with skin.

crossbred goat

Credit: Wikimedia Commons user Dr. Zeynel Cebeci

Does of a crossbred goat (75 percent German fawn goat and 25 percent Turkish native hair goat) reared in the Small Ruminants Research Station at the Çukurova University. Goats have horns similar to those of cows and antelope.

Author Bio

Jennifer Welsh,

Jennifer Welsh graduated from the University of California, Santa Cruz's Science Communication graduate program after working at a start up biotech company for three years after getting her Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences from the University of Notre Dame. She has worked at WiredScience, The Scientist and Discover Magazine before joining the Live Science team.

Jennifer Welsh,
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Big bull moose

Credit: In public domain

The antlers of moose are similar to those of deer. This photo was taken in Chugach State Park, Alaska.

Red deer stag

Credit: Wikimedia Commons user Mehmet Karatay

Red deer stag (Cervus elaphus) with velvet antlers in Glen Torridon, Scotland. When the antlers of a deer are still growing they are covered in a special skin called velvet. They lose and re-grow their antlers every year.

Cow in Eyeworth Wood, New Forest

Credit: Wikimedia Commons user Jim Champion

A cow sitting in a sunny spot among the beech trees of the United Kingdom. A cow's headgear are true horns, made of keratin (same proteins as skin and nails) and covered with skin.

Bighorn sheep

Credit: Wikimedia Commons user Wing-Chi Poon

Bighorn sheep Ovis canadensis in Glacier National Park, Montana, USA. The sheep's horns are similar to those of cows and goats.

Male elk

Credit: Wikimedia Commons user Malene Thyssen (User Malene)

Portrait of a male elk (Alces alces), whose antlers are similar to those of deer.

giraffe headgear

Credit: Wikimedia Commons user William Scot

The nubs that top the giraffe's head, which are just bone projects covered in skin and hair, are called ossicones.

Pronghorn antelope

Credit: Wikimedia Commons user MONGO

This is a male pronghorn antelope, which has very different horns from its normal antelope cousins. The horns have a bone center and a special outer layer that it sheds and re-grows every year.

Okapi

Credit: Wikimedia Commons user Dontworry

Okapi couple at zoo in Frankfurt am Main. The okapi are a very rare species of ruminant related to Giraffes. They have similar headgear, bone projects covered in skin and hair, called ossicones.

Bubikon cow market

Credit: Wikimedia Commons user Paebi

Cow Market in Bubikon, Switzerland. A cow's headgear are true horns, made of keratin (same proteins as skin and nails) and covered with skin.

Mule deer missing antler

Credit: Wikimedia Commons user Hustvedt

A mule deer missing an antler. Deer loose their antlers each year and re-grow new ones from stem cells in the base of the antler.

An aubrac cow

Credit: Wikimedia Commons user Jean-Luc Bailleul

An aubrac cow. A cow's headgear are true horns, made of keratin (same proteins as skin and nails) and covered with skin.

crossbred goat

Credit: Wikimedia Commons user Dr. Zeynel Cebeci

Does of a crossbred goat (75 percent German fawn goat and 25 percent Turkish native hair goat) reared in the Small Ruminants Research Station at the Çukurova University. Goats have horns similar to those of cows and antelope.